2023 QB signings put pressure on Chiefs to restructure Patrick Mahomes deal

Patrick Mahomes is the undisputed best quarterback in football but you couldn't tell that from glancing at the list of the highest-paid QBs in the NFL.

Mahomes began the offseason as the league's fifth-highest-paid quarterback but three record-setting deals later, Mahomes ranks eighth. With Joe Burrow on the verge of resetting the market yet again, it's possible Mahomes begins the season ranked ninth. 

His contract is already one of the greatest bargains in the NFL and with nine years remaining on his 10-year extension, he'll continue being grossly underpaid until he demands his contract be restructured.

Chiefs general manager Brett Veach hinted at that being a possibility in March, ahead of the contract extensions for Jalen Hurts, Lamar Jackson and Justin Herbert.

"On one end, we have Pat's deal done. On the other end, we'll certainly have to monitor the rest of these deals. We have a lot of years with Pat's contract, so that's something we'll have to readjust as time goes," Veach said.

Kansas City is walking a tightrope with Mahomes and his contract. Quarterback salaries are only going up, which will affect Mahomes' asking price. The longer the Chiefs wait to restructure his deal, the more it will eventually have to give their star quarterback.

Of course, a restructured contract will also benefit Kansas City in the short term. When Herbert inked his record-setting deal, it lowered his 2024 cap number by roughly $10.5M.